Header bolts-tool suggestions?

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Schurkey

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you can also buy header bolts with 5/16 head, This is what I use

ARP 100-1110 5/16 Inch Head Header Bolts (speedwaymotors.com)
Thanks for that. Two sets are now on my Summit Wishlist.


You have actually one of those?
...and you know where it is, too?
Wow.

One day a mechanic is going to remove a fender & it’s going to dump out 10mm sockets like a sack of rice.
SK has you covered. They sell a comprehensive set of just 10mm sockets.
https://sktools.com/shop/15-piece-10mm-socket-set.html
 

HotWheelsBurban

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You have actually one of those?
...and you know where it is, too?
Wow.

One day a mechanic is going to remove a fender & it’s going to dump out 10mm sockets like a sack of rice.
Either that, or they're with all the socks George Carlin used to do that routine about " the island of Lost Things "......
 

Mr Eric

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Stock engine the stock manifold gaskets always seem to last

I know I may be guilty of heresy, but I have quit using headers and gone back to cast exhaust manifold. I even tried getting creative and spent several weekends with extra long burr bits and flapping sand paper match porting and making the ID smooth and all, both inlet and outlet sides. Would be a neat experiment to run an engine Dino and see if they made any more than stock. The port match probably made the only difference, though at the kind of driving i do I doubt it makes any real difference. I re-torqued them after 2 hot cold cycles (~100 miles each) and haven't touched them in over 100,000 miles.

When I swap engines next I'll reuse this set of manifold and know that I'll shouldn't have any worries with them. Changing the spark plugs is a parking lot exercise, and that's another big bonus, being able to easily change the plugs.
 

badco

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On a vortec mercruiser engine stock truck manifolds the engine made 260ish and a set of sprint car headers 1 5/8 step to 1 3/4 with a 2 5/16 merge on the collector put it over 300. Now this was stock boat rebuild and a performer rpm and 750 hp holley with 7al msd distributor locked at 34* just for dyno purposes. To much trouble to take all the pcm and wiring out just to dyno
 

El Tigre

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Find a thin wall socket ,and drive it onto the bolt head with a hammer. With ,or w/o an extension. A couple blows to side into header tube for extra clearance action. ARP offers header bolts with 5/16 heads which will be a piece of cake to install with that little bit of gained clearance.
 

HawkDsl

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chuck norris
Changing the spark plugs is a parking lot exercise, and that's another big bonus, being able to easily change the plugs.

I have me some custom one offs by Mesa Headers.. The company is long gone now, but they still holding up great... and I love them until.. untill it's time to change plugs. Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph! You can get #1, 3, 2 and 4 out up top no problem. The rest are under the truck... a 4X4 truck. Why they put that axle in the front like that, I don't even know... and the starter.. oh, you sorry son of a... back it down... back it down...
 

Schurkey

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I'm even more grateful after reading about trouble with spark plugs vs. headers.

I've got ancient Edelbrock "Tubular Exhaust System" (TES) shorty headers, and aftermarket "angle-plug" heads (Trick Flow Twisted Wedge Gen 1) on my '88 K1500 5.7L.

Seven plugs, I can reach in with a plug socket and short extension, and spin 'em right out. The last one--#1--I have to use a plug socket and then put a wrench on the hex at the drive end of the socket. There's not a lot of room for tool clearance, so I need a 12-point wrench. Overall...piece o' cake.
 

PlayingWithTBI

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I've got ancient Edelbrock "Tubular Exhaust System" (TES) shorty headers, and aftermarket "angle-plug" heads (Trick Flow Twisted Wedge Gen 1) on my '88 K1500 5.7L.
I have a similar set up - Summit Racing heads (made by Trick Flow) with slant plugs, and Summit Racing shorty headers (made by Pace Setter) but I can only get to some easily. The rest I have to use a combination like you do or other ways. I even ground down a standard plug socket to barely fit over the plug with the extension in the socket to get into a couple of ones. Another one, I used just a 5/8" 12-point box wrench to get to it. I can get it done in about an hour or so, depending on how many beverage breaks I take.

Really a PITA but, how often do you change plugs?:33:
 
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